Poetry & Jazz

Ancestor Energy’s mantra is the juxtaposition of the amorous, enigmatic Poetry of Louis Alemayehu and the prodigious, procuratorial, riveting jazz compositions of Carei Thomas.

These two elements, Poetry & Jazz, fuse in an amorphous conglomeration of often pointilistic melodies and provocative stories of the Human Compassion to survive amongst the Universal upheavals of Life & Death; Oppression & Survival, Loving beyond the desire of Ego and Power.

Ancestor Energy is an offering to Humanity and a reflection of our planet’s consciousness. The audience will experience the poetic beauty of Grandmother, Heartsong for my Father, Africans in the Snow, Seeds of War and We are the River; to name a few. The players include Carei Thomas-Keys, David Wright III-Reeds, Gary Schulte-Violin and Mick LaBriola-Percussion.

The experience of Ancestor Energy can transform and challenge the Human Spirit back home to it’s essence of Humanity and the feeling of the Universal Love of our true Nature; HEALING.

“The Creator Has a Master Plan” Mick LaBriola

“Ancestor Energy. Dynamics is the operative word here….Ancestor Energy offers a fairly unique amalgam of bristling post-Coltrane jazz, taut social commentary, potent poetics, striking melodies, and freewheeling yet insistent rhythms. Few groups have combined verse and jazz music with more art and less artificiality. Ancestor Energy joins a very short list of underground heroes, including the Last Poets, Jayne Cortez, Archie Shepp and the AACM’s Shadow Vignettes big band. Louis Alemayehu writes stirring, machete sharp poems, and he really can emote – Alemayehu is that rarity among men, a great reader. Carei Thomas and the rest of the accompanying musicians match the funky poet’s fire with scripted and spur-of-the-moment improvisation sparks of their own. And the whole is definitely greater that the sum of it’s parts. Ancestor Energy is truly an experience, a no-drugs-necessary head trip.” -Tom Surowicz, Twin Cities Jazz journalist